If you like this miniseries you should also react to "THE PACIFIC". It is excellent from every point of view and is produced by the same directors as "BAND OF BROTHERS".
I just noticed the picture of the two of you in the background, dressed in GOT garb... and I love it!!! Very cool. It gave me a chuckle while watching your reactions to this sad and important show. 😔. Both my grandfather and great Uncle fought in this war and survived. They never forgot for the rest of their lives what they saw there, and the buddies they lost. This mini series holds a very special place in my family's heart. Thank you for choosing Band of Brothers ❤
@@davidbennett1357 Have you watched "reel history" channel? There is a history professor with a lot of information! I heard that from his story's. Must watch!
The Black Nurse is a real person too if you want Searching for Augusta on Amazon Prime is about her and how no one knew who she actually was before 2014ish beautiful story and well worth a watch
Renee Lemaire. There's a state / memorial to her service in Bastogne. Her heroism is honored to this day in the small community, the country of Belgium, and indeed, the entire world.
@@anansajohnson9139 have a look on the documentary Augusta Chiwy - The Forgotten Angel of Bastogne. I'm from Brussels-Belgium, Lady Chiwi last home was a rest house for elders (Home Magnolia), just at the corner of my street, I knew that years after she passed away.
The reason why Winters was shaving was because he had to be a respectful leader. There was definitely no time for it but small things like that can help improve morale in a situation like that.
The Army required men to shave in the field to ensure a good seal when wearing gas masks. When I was in the Navy in the 80s, beards were forbidden for the same reason.
Another interesting note... A lot of the foxholes in this episode and the next are still there. There are a lot of TH-cam videos showing them, and showing Easy's position. At 17:52 when Smokey Gordon is shot and paralyzed, like 50 years later, they went back, recognized his foxhole, and in fact, found the coffee mug that he spilled when he was shot. After the war, with a lot of physical therapy, he regained the use of his legs. Smokey was actually one of the catalysts for the Band Of Brothers book originally, as he was neighbours and friends with Stephen A. Ambrose who wrote the book after interviewing the men.
Today in 1944, troops made their way across the English Channel to storm the beaches of Normandy. Remember them as you watch this reaction tonight. Their bravery, their sacrifice, and how they gave their all, some gave literally their all. Bastogne was an absolutely brutal part of the campaign. It’s hard to even fathom what these men, women, and children experienced. Thank you Nikki and Steven as always for treating this show, these men and their families with the respect and attention this deserves. Lest we forget.
Btw the strafing run was to warn the guys away from the drop zone and not fired at them. Allied troops had an understandable tendacy to rush onto zones when the supplies were still airborne in the chutes so the fighter escort was told to conduct what's called zone clearance runs to stop ground troops from getting hit by dropped supplies. Doc Roe is still remembered as a legend in the US army medical corps, his bravery and commitment was even more than shown in this show.
@@paulcurlin2789 I think I heard was that the drops were being taken by the enemy. That's why in the beginning they said they dropped the supplies to the enemy. The planes were keeping what they thought were the enemy away from the new supplies.
This is my favourite episode, as difficult as it is to watch. He’s running around providing both medical, psychological health, and general needs of his platoon. Medics are amazing people.
During the attack on the town Renee evacuated 6 wounded soldiers from the basement of that hospital. She died trying to get a 7th. Even though Eugene and Renee probably didn't really have a conversation in real life I like that they added her in the show. Kind of wish they got more of her story though.
Slight correction. She was not at the hospital (church) but in a hotel just up the street that was on fire. Her body was wrapped in a silk parachute and delivered to her parents who lived a few miles away.
In those scenes Eugene Roe is representing any and or all of the medics Renee would have been interacting with. That’s what happens when you do a historical drama, sometimes you need to take someone and have them tell someone else’s story, because they story needs to be told, but you really can’t spend the amount of screen time to introduce a bunch of new characters just to tell one story. It’s easier to have alway have it be Doc Roe when you need a medic in a scene. Came in point in the previous episode where you have Jimmy Kimmel (was that it?) portraying his relative who was the one who made all those ammo runs. We really don’t know if his encounter with Captain Winters ever Happened, it’s just could have easily happened with any other company in this battalion, or any of the other battalions in the 501st. But your not going to spend the screen time introducing 7 member of Dog Company 4 battalion just to have that one scene are you. So you shift and and all out favorite members of Easy Company for this one scene are generic characters framing this one second Lt and his keep full of ammo
My grandpa was a fresh replacement on January 1st 1945 in the Battle of the Bulge. He was shelled while in his foxhole and severely injured on January 4th. He spent less than four days in action, but he spent over a year in hospitals, and was discharged as 100% disabled. My grandma said he never, ever spoke of it.
The M on the soldier's forehead is to indicate he's already been given morphine, so the hospital won't give him a second dose, which would be fatal. This actually had to be done for Bob Dole, with the injuries that paralyzed his arm.
Same thing with Daniel Inouye, when he was shot in the arm with a German rifle grenade. They had to amputate his arm without administering more anaesthesia because of the morphine. Took 8 hours to get him to a field hospital.
I've been watching your reactions! It's like watching them for the first time again vicariously! Shifty Powers was local to me. His obituary was in our local paper, and I'm still kicking myself that I never managed to save a the physical copy. One of my favorite stories of Bastogne, however, was one about Shifty that Winters recorded in the book Band of Brothers, but didn't make it into the show. Shifty comes to him one day to say there's a new tree out in the woods. Everyone looks at him like he's insane, what do you mean a new tree? Shifty insists there's a tree out there that wasn't there yesterday. Winters calls in an air strike, and sure enough, it was an artillery piece that the Germans were building and had disguised to look like a tree. Only Hillbilly Shifty who'd spent his whole life in the woods would notice that there was a new tree. But he noticed, and saved who knows how many lives.
Most of the actors are British. They filmed most of this series in England and they used a British casting agency which is why dick winters is played by a brit and the show has Simon Pegg, stephen Graham, Michael Fassbender, Tom Hardy, James McAvoy. Sgt Martin, Pencala, Liebgott and O’Keefe are all tea drinking Brits Funny enough, Black Hawk Down used the same casting agency and a bunch of Brits got cast in that movie as army Rangers lol All the best American military roles are going to the English
The story of the medics always moved me. The idea of them running through enemy fire to get to the wounded while others were taking cover just gets me. The courage it must have taken. I am the proud descendant of two war nurses. :-) Awesome women who stepped up.
Yep, Officers are meant to lead by example and since he is a Captain, Winters has to hold himself to a certain standard. All officers do, you're a leader, men are watching you.
@@rubenlopez3364 yeah for sure! i noticed in the show bill guarnere also had some scruff/a beard during this episode. i'm sure it was much more widespread, especially with the cold!
The practical reason was so your gas mask could properly seal and protect you in case of a gas attack. Hitler learned this the hard way in WW 1. He got mustard gassed and his long thick mustache stopped his mask from working and he got it all. Hence the Charlie Chaplin mustache to make sure that never happened to him again.
There is a very charming video on TH-cam where Winters is presented a painting done of him talking to a generic Officer, NCO and Infantryman in the Bois Jacques. He joked about how he was, accurately, the only one who was clean shaven in the painting.
Nothing, absolutely nothing can prepare you for each and every scene in each and every episode of this series. I think it's so difficult because it was real memories for these heroes.
Honestly nothing could have prepared me for what happened half-way through Episode 9. I actually don't want to see their reaction it was so hard to watch. I had to stop watching for the first time in the series. To this day I haven't finished that episode. It's just too sad.
The moment in this episode that so perfectly sums up these guys is the moment when Eugene is treating the soldier with the horrible leg wound...and they guy, knowing morphine is in short supply, tells him that he'll just take the pain, and to save the morphine for someone who might need it more. How do you not feel in awe of guys like that?
When Winters was shaving, not only was he doing it to keep up a routine, but he also did it to show his men that he had plans to be around for a while. And a beard just wasn't Winters' style...I'm sure you've gathered that Winters is very methodical and calculated in his approach to the way he does his job. This was a small example of that....and phrases like "We're not lost private, we're in Normandy!" or "We're paratroopers lieutenant, we're supposed to be surrounded!"...were all real events that they made a point of putting in the movie to display just what a true leader Winters was to his men; even under the most trying of circumstances.
The girl, actually both of them, were based on real people. Renee Lemaire died in a bombing on Dec 24th. She is known as the 'Angel of Bastogne.' and there are memorials to her there. While there is no known interaction between her and Doc Roe as shown in the show, they included it to show her, and her story. The other girl, Anna, is based on Augusta Chiwy, who survived the bombing on the 24th. She was blown through a wall, but was otherwise unhurt. She worked as a nurse the remainder of the war, and passed away in 2015. Was recognized by both the American and Belgian gov'ts in her lifetime for her work done during the battle.
Bloody Bastogne... Amazing US soldiers fighting hard with very little, reminds me of Mogadishu October 93, we kiwis went in to help our American brothers during the fight for Berkara market, went in with 1k 5.56 for my SAW, 4 frag/ Willie Pete's and a 9mm hi power pistol back up, after nearly 16 hours fighting, had 1 frag and 11 rounds for my Browning, plus a gsw to my left leg and grenade fragments in the back of my head.....life is experience, good or bad, love my American brothers and Sisters!!
So at the time this was going on in Bastogne, my grandpa and "The Big Red 1" were to the south and east of the 101st, in similar weather and circumstances in the Alsace Forest of France. He was sitting on the edge of his foxhole when a German mortar shell struck nearby, and shrapnel nearly took off his left arm. Unlike the 101st, they weren't cut off, so he was moved to the battalion aid station, then up to the regimental field hospital, and finally back to England, where all the king's horses and all the king's men put him back together again. He was returned to the front lines just after the new year, 1945, and followed General Patton's tanks through Belgium and into Germany. There's no evidence that Renee Lemaire and Eugene "Doc" Rowe ever met in real life, but they were both there, and a lot of guys made it home thanks to their efforts. Renee Lemaire is memorialized as "The Angel of Bastogne."
Beautiful story. Thank you for sharing and thank your Grandpa for his exemplary service in the Big Red 1. I first learned about them as a child from the Call of Duty game named after it, and then later in a military history class. A true honor to be a descendant of one of those heroes.
I had 4 uncles on my mum's side who all fought in WW2 and survived it, John joined the British Army in March 1939 and went through the African and Italian campaigns ending his war in Austria, he was finally demobbed in 1953 after fighting in Korea, Reg was a Territorial with the BEF and escaped from Dunkirk, he was not returned to the Army as he was a panel beater with Supermarine and he was needed to train personnel to make the wings of Spitfires, Alwyn the eldest was a tank commander, he was wounded during the early part of 1940 and returned to England as an instructor, Jasper joined the Navy but was sent to the Army after Dunkirk and ended up fighting the Japanese in Burma.
As a huge fan of Band of Brothers and also a huge fan of reaction channels, I can't believe this is the first time I've ever seen anyone react to this show. I'm glad it was you two. Not only are you my favorite movie and TV reactors, but you've been knocking this one out of the park. You're making me feel what I felt the first time I watched this show. Thanks for doing this!
Another regiment who were at Bastogne suffered the Germans trying to demoralize them with propaganda songs. Then a certain 18 year old minesweeper had a rather naughty idea, and retaliated by playing Al Jolson back at them (while the true extent of the Holocaust wasn't yet known, it was pretty clear that the Nazis really hated Jews). His name? Mel Brooks. Yes, that one.
My Dad was a Navy Corpsman for 23 years. From Korea to Vietnam. (kind of like a medic but don't call them that) Corpsman were regularly attached to Marine units. The Navy takes double duty as many enlisted corpsmen become IDCs, or Independent Duty Corpsmen. Considered the equal of a Physician’s Assistant in the civilian world (but their military credentials don’t carry over), IDCs in most cases are the primary caregiver while a ship is underway, or a unit is deployed. After becoming an IDC, the sailor is qualified to write prescriptions, conduct specific medical procedures, and treat many ailments during sick call. He always carried a pistol on long after he got out, I'm sure he carried one while he was in the service. It's not a rule that you have to be unarmed if you are a medic. .
@@ArthurKnight1899 It is the 77th anniversary of D-Day today. Can we take a moment to think about that? Does that take away from any other battle remembrances?
Easy company really respect doc. Eugene Roe especially during bastogne because he was injured at that time but still mananged to rescue wounded men and refused to be transfered to be treated because he didnt want to leave the Easy men without a medic and there isnt any proof that doc. Roe and Renee interacted with each other but its possible because they are in the same place they just wanted to atleast include her story. In one of Malarkey's book he actually mentioned doc. Roe's behavior and explained that.. "If you see Doc. Roe he just usually sit quitely far from all of us and he will just look infront of him and you can totally see that his losing it. Doc. Roe saw more death than any of us so who couldn't blame him. We really thought that he deserved a medal espcially his service during bastogne but sadly Lt. Dike didnt approve". Been so long since i read the book but i clearly remembered that statement from Sgt. Malarkey.
My dad and I were both history buffs, so we used to go and visit Civil War battlefields. At Shiloh, there is a small military cemetery, and I still remember one marker there. It's probably been close to 20 years since I visited, so I've forgotten the name, but I still remember the dates. This soldier was born on Christmas Day, (Dec. 25, 1927) and died on Dec. 24, 1944. The day before his 17th birthday. I don't know for sure that this particular soldier was at Bastogne, but I always think of him when I watch this episode.
Like you, i am also compelled to visit battlefields and memorials. My last trip to see them for myself was to go to Bastogne at Christmastime and see, feel, and hopefully understand the import of the sacrifices made. Years later, it's my hope that i have had at least a small glimpse of that understanding. I broke down and cried at the memorial to the 101st Airborne just outside of the Bois Jacques.
the Bois Jacques still roars, in silence, with the echoes of time. can confirm. i left a pack of Lucky Strikes on the nearby memorial for those who couldn't enjoy them. i'll never forget my time in Bastogne.
Can't even count how many times I've watched this series. I watch it every year around memorial day as a tradition. Greatest mini series for the Greatest generation.
This episode alone shows why combat service members have so much respect and gratitude for a good medic. Good medics are more than worth their weight in gold.
I don't know if you guys saw the making of already, but episode 6 and 7 were both filmed in a giant warehouse. The whole forest is indoors. I visited Bastogne a couple of years back and its insane to see the fox holes and how far Foy is across open ground. Amazing anyone made it out of there.
Great reaction! My grandfather, Nicholas Herman Gieschen senior, from Wilmington North Carolina was trapped there in Bastonge with the 101st airborne. My dad asked him years later if he wanted to go camping in the winter here in Florida and immediately said "no,but hell no" and I can see why. The reminders of the snowy cold winter in Bastonge, watching your fellow comrades in arms get shelled and bombarded from Nazis German artillery. The same can be said why he didn't want to go to the beach for long, the reminders from D-day on Omaha Beach. Battle of The Buldge was hell on earth! R.I.P to my grandfather and all other ww2 veterans who served, fought and died for our freedoms
You’ve left similar comments on other channels about a grandfather you claim served with 101st in Bastogne AND Omaha Beach. For which there is no record of either except you or similar comments.
@@boyscouts83712 it’s not anywhere in the public record. Doesn’t mean it wasn’t true but it isn’t anywhere. And it’s puzzling as well. Perhaps you misheard a story or two here and there and got events mixed up. It’s puzzling.
@@genghisgalahad8465 he was an army engineer and got trapped in the Battle of the Buldge by mistake. Go to a ww2 website or hell even The national ww2 museum in New Orleans will show that my grandfather was actually there! Goodnight
@@holstfly1 I was just imagining hearing the forest explode around you, men screaming. Guess it’s why it appealed to me. One man trying to put the world back together as it gets destroyed around him.
Same. I love this episode. I couldn't even imagine having to go through the hell these men went through. They are the most bad ass dudes to have ever lived. And probably will ever be.
More people like you. I always wanted to be a soldier but medic's work was never fully appreciated I think. You are there to help people. Not kill others.
Medics were the best. 2 of them gave their lives trying to save my grandfather in France. My grandfather and his assistant were machine gunned, the latter taking the burst in the face and dying immediately while my grandfather was hit across the back from the sides, as he was hunched over at the time, collapsing one of his lungs and barely missed his heart. The rest of the squad thought they were both dead and left him like that poor soldier in this episode. Luckily my grandfather had been carrying the unit's radio/walkie talkie in addition to his BAR machine gun (due to attrition over the previous weeks and too few replacements) and eventually managed to get it working, contacting his company commander. 2 medics came up to get him and were killed by a German tank hiding in the woods, after which the company commander sent up a smoke screen with more medics and a bazooka crew, which supposedly took the tank out. The next group of medics retrieved my grandfather and put him in a cot on the hood of the jeep, just like it was shown in this episode with another scene. Although they didn't expect him to live, my grandfather pulled through, much to the help of the medical staff. It can not be overstated how wonderful the medics were and the existence of my father and all of our line is because of the selfless sacrifice those two men, whose names I don't know, made for my grandfather.
Thank you for sharing the story with us about your Grandfather. Mine was also in the war, he drove a flail tank up the beaches on D-Day clearing mines. The only story he ever told was from D-Day, his friend was driving alongside in another tank and got blown up by a mortar round. He didn’t tell my Mum and her family anything else, I’ve been searching the internet and archives for as much information as we can find on him. It may have been too painful for him to tell us himself, but none of us want what he did to be forgotten with time. Your grandfather sounds like he was an incredibly brave and resourceful man.
@@MothproofKT Thank you for the kind words. Was your grandfather American, British, or Canadian? If you are American, unfortunately a large chunk of the WW2 archives were lost in a fire while being stored in St. Louis. I was lucky that I did manage to find some things at the National Archives (such as radio transcripts) for his regiment, had his letters to my grandmother, and some stories he told my father after he lost his temper on my father and his friend after his friend brought some Iron crosses he bought into the house (and he sat them down and explained why he reacted that way). If you are British or Canadian (or even American regardless of the fire) you might want to contact your National Archives to see what collections they might posses that have not been digitized yet. You are right about my grandfather being brave and resourceful, I am very proud of him. He was awarded the D.S.C. (just under the Medal of Honor) for single handedly attacking and silencing German strongpoints twice in one day during the breakout from Anzio, Italy, despite bleeding profusely from a mortar round taking off the center of his lower lip (something I vividly remember about him as a child), on May 23, 1944. The same company commander that he radioed later in the war after being wounded had witnessed it and recommended him for the Medal of Honor. At any rate, men like our grandfathers, as you said, generally did not talk about the war. It always seemed the more of war someone saw, the less they wanted to talk about it. Thank you as well for sharing your grandfather's story. Minesweeping is a tough job even when not under fire, it must have particularly tough when in an active warzone and in an obvious target like a Sherman or Churchill minesweeper.
12:48 If you notice, the sergeant requested Doc Roe to stay back ("Doc, why don't you. . . ."). This is because, at that time, medics were under the direct command of the company commander (which, in Doc Roe's case, meant Lt. Dike) or those of higher rank or position (such as Winters). The sergeant had no right to order Doc Roe to stay back, and Doc Roe respected the sergeant and the latter's judgement by calling him by his rank. Also, at the end, this featured Bastogne being shelled. The Germans didn't target the building specifically; they were out to hit anything they could, and the makeshift hospital was just one of those targets.
There was a documentary series called "Commanders at War" that would compare and contrast the tactics, techniques, equipment and leadership of the opposing sides in iconic battles in WW2, and in the episode about the Battle of the Bulge, I remember a historian analyzing the allied side of the battle said that the 101st Airborne was "one of the greatest divisions in the history of warfare."
@@scottmorey6212 I'm glad you asked! I couldn't remember the name, so I had to dig a lot to find it, and it made me realize that I remembered some stuff wrong. It aired in 2009, and though it was made in England, it apparently wasn't on the BBC, and it only covered battles in WW2. IMDB and Wikipedia list the series as "Commanders at War" and it is also known as "Generals at War." It has six episodes: Singapore, Midway, El Alamein, Stalingrad, Kursk, and Battle of the Bulge. Several people have uploaded episodes on TH-cam, and I'll post a link to the Battle of the Bulge episode in a separate comment (comments with links tend to get auto-deleted by TH-cam, so that's why I'm separating it). I hope you enjoy it.
When I was in H.S. we studied WWII for almost 2 months. We read, we watched documentaries, we were assigned some other books to read that gave us perspectives of the people in the occupied countries. I gained a decent understanding of the politics and the struggles of those times. Watching a movie like Saving Private Ryan (the storming of Normandy beach) and a series like this gives you a glimpse of what our soldiers went through and all the sacrifices that were made. No matter what you see on the screen, know that it is only a pale reflection of what happened IRL. You're seeing a Hollywoodized version of ugly. This is why this period in our history should be studied and not avoided. We don't study this to make us feel bad, or hurt our "fefe's", or see horrible things. We study this to see the mistakes made so we can avoid them. We can't stick our heads in the sand and hope this never happens again. We need to learn the history so we can see the signs and know that if we go down a certain road... this is our inevitable destination.
100% accurate. You'd be shocked at the number of reactions for movies like Schindler's List where they say "didn't cover this in school" or they didn't cover more than a paragraph on the Holocaust. Kids don't need 4 months on Ancient China & Egypt. Ww2 is one of those things that needs to be studied and learned from, lest history repeat itself.
Nothing but love until my dying breath for the field docs. Just imagine what the death toll would have been if not for medics and corpsmen. My ass and plenty of brothers would have never come home if not for them.
@@kathleenclark815 None needed. My grandpa served in the 101. His story isn’t part of E-company’s, but just as brutal. I owed a debt, and paid what I could through three tours. Still a pittance compared to those that didn’t come home.
@@HintonJonathan I still thank you. My Uncle was in WWII and flew many missions over Germany. My father was also in the Army National Guard in the 60's.
The black nurse from the Congo (a Belgian colony in Africa at that time) working with Renee was a real person too; she only died in 2015, in Belgium at the age of 94.
Although he's portrayed in the series as a replacement, John Julian actually went through basic training with Babe Heffron and they'd been good friends from that point onwards, agreeing, along with another friend (who survived the war) that, in the event of their death, the others would contact their family and do their best to return their personal possessions to them. They were ultimately able to recover his body after repelling the German forces. Heffron was so ashamed that he'd been unable to save his friend that it was twelve years before he was able to bring himself to honour their agreement and contact Julian's mother.
My favourite episode of the series and my favourite TV series episode ever also! Such a faacinating inaight into WW2 medics and a different take on the typical episode of this series. It hit hard on many levels and had some amazing acting.
I was in Bastogne few weeks ago. There are gun turrets at all entrance roads of the village,pointing out. It was impressive. There are also fields with deep craters not far away of the 1st WW. Covered in craters as far as you can see.
“I promised him if he got hit, I’d get his stuff and bring it to his ma, you know? Now the fucking krauts’ll strip him.” “It’s okay…” “It’s not! It’s not okay…..I should’a got to him.” Shit makes me cry every time.
Steven: "How are they going to fight tanks?" Excellent question! Now I know this show is about Easy Company and the 101st but even in episode 3 there's a "Well hello 2nd Armored". What we aren't taught in school is there was part of an armored division in Bastogne with the 101st. In the previous episode the Jimmy Fallon character is from Combat Command B of the 10th armored division. That's how they were able to fight tanks.
@@striker0243 yeah i said in a different comment, it was a stroke of luck (in an otherwise bad situation) that General McAuliffe was in command of the 101st at the time. McAuliffe had a background in field artillery and really understood how to utilize it best in the desperate circumstances the Americans were in.
My uncle lived in Oregon and when this show came out he got a copy of the book and looked up where Donald Malarkey lives and went to the guys house and asked for an autograph. Malarkey invited him and for coffee and signed his book and chatted with him for a while. Super cool really nice guy.
Interesting production note, there was no snow used at all during the making of this show. All of that 'snow' is paper. Shreded, cut up, confettied, you name it, all paper. Over 330,000 pounds of recycled paper were used to create the snow for the forest set, and it took four weeks to dress the entire set.
@@GK-yi4xv Yes, This one is. As is most of the next one/ But, few people know about the paper snow aspect, most assume they trucked snow in, or used a snow making machine. So I shared an interesting production tidbit, since they have referenced production several times throughout their reaction so far.
One of the things they did when I was in the 101st in the 90s to commemorate The Battle of the Bulge was every January we spent the entire month in the field for training and to make sure we could take the cold even though of course Kentucky is nowhere near as cold as it was that winter in northern Europe. Rendezvous With Destiny.
on this day, i extend thanks to you and yours for the sacrifices you made to help keep me, a simple stateside civilian, safe from the terrors of war. it is a debt that i cannot fully ever repay. My research of the Second World War brought me to Europe, then to Belgium, and then finally to the Bois Jacques on Christmas Eve to fully see and hopefully partially understand the level of sacrifices made. The foxholes are still there, and however inappropriate it may seem now, i felt compelled to leave a pack of Lucky Strikes on the memorial to the 101st Airborne, a short way from the woods -a gift for those who couldn't enjoy them any longer. It was a moment of profound humility for me. i hope to return someday.
There's a story about US Tanks pulling into the fight and asking an airborne trooper where the front line was. He jumped up and said something to the effect of "Right here behind me."
You are one of the few folks that I watch to react to stuff, found you guys from the Chernobyl series, and y'all just have such a...real feel and reaction. I'm glad you don't just 'react', you 'react and analyze, learn, and live the show or film'. Anyways. No clue if y'all read comments since there's hundreds, but thanks for making my night shifts easier.
My uncle Milo fought at the Battle of the Bulge w/ the golden lions near St. Vith. He evaded capture in the woods for days before returning to friendly lines, where he was evac'd to the rear with trench foot and frost bite. Only he and one other man from his company survived. He never talked about it, but as a teen who was interested in military history, I asked for his story. He told me, then I asked why he never talked about it (I was a teen and didn't understand PTSD etc...I wouldn't do the same today), and he said, "No one ever asks me." ETA...he and his men (he was a Sgt) shipped out from the US to England, and their deployment to St Vith (near Bastongne) was the first time they had been in combat. Imagine that....what a baptism of fire. He wrote about it in story form years later. I still have those type written pages, and they're precious to me.
I’m firmly of the belief that both series should absolutely be viewed at least once in your life, I’m just VERY nervous about how Nikki would cope watching it lol
@Peacefield: I prefer Band of Brothers, since it has a (somewhat) lighter tone. The Pacific is much darker and more grim, which makes it very unpleasant to watch at times. Still an excellent series though.
I couldn't really get into the Pacific; it didn't generate that same sense of attachment to the Marines it followed as Band of Brothers did. I think that's down to BoB following one specific company of the 101st as opposed to jumping between various units in the Marine Expeditionary Force, just so you could follow the famous ones like Audie Murphy.
@@peterbrazukas7771 what you mean follow the famous ones. Furthermore the Pacific was based off Stephen and hugh Ambrose's book but also the memoirs of multiple soldiers in the series. The Pacific campaign was so large you can't just stick to one person
Today the ‘Day of Days’ for so many soldiers and civilians alike. I am writing this and giving you all a thumb’s up before I even watch, your content is that good.
As someone who re-watches the series semi annually as a tradition (the days leading up to 6/6 and 11/11) watching you two watch it for the first time, with fresh eyes has been my Sunday evening ritual for 6 weeks now. This is something I feel should be broadcast every year, so these men's sacrifices and what they were sacrificing for, should never be forgot. See you next Sunday.
Some of my family was under Patton. They told stories about the cold and ice and the fight to reach Bastogne and what followed. One thing they said was that the ground was frozen almost like concrete and deeply. The easiest way to dig a hole was to fire some rounds into the ground then put In TN T and blast one. Unfortunately they couldn't spare much of it for that purpose, so they hacked away until they had at least a little cover.
Dear Nikkie and Steven. Thank you for that i can be a part of your excitement over this episode and feel out the exactly same feelings with you right the time. This is one of the hardest episode of the series to watch. Not just because to see the lot of injuries but see the whole crazy events through the eye of the Doc, and feel the desperation of him, how fast and accurate he has to do what he supposed to do to save as many fellow as he can! I really appreciate what you do! It’s just a guy from Hungary.
I hope you guys will start From the Earth to the Moon. Anniversary of landing on moon coming. Its a VERY good series. Like Band of Brothers, also created by Tom Hanks. And just as rich.
That is such a great miniseries! I love that each episode has a different style, making it something like an analogy instead of continuing storyline, even though it is. My favorite eps are Spider, the first ep about Gemini, the Apollo 12 ep (Al Bean is the one moonwalker I have personally met), and the Apollo 15 ep about training these astronauts in the science of geology.
@@kathyastrom1315 Would have love to have met Al Bean. I think of all the Apollo astronauts, he was my favourite. Always had a massive smile on his face in every interview I've seen.
Winters is the battalion XO. Other officers might be forgiven for letting their whiskers grow, but he is expected to maintain a professional appearance as an example for the others.
the Catholic Church still stands in Bastogne. A dearly departed friend and i attended Christmas Eve Mass there one year. Knowing of the history of the space only increased the import of the sacrifices made there, and not so very long ago. It's my hope to return there someday.
@@gaelicwarrior5064 I read Winters' war memoirs, "Beyond Band of Brothers." Very detailed. He stayed in London with an elderly couple. While the men were all carousing in town, he would go over his manuals every night to make sure he didn't make any mistakes that got guys killed. He never went out or drank.
I remember watching this when it first came out. I found out my supervisor at work was also watching it. It became our thing to talk about after the episodes aired. This supervisor was a man's man, prided himself on being tough and I remember after the final episode the first thing he said to me the day after was "John, I cried like a fucking baby.' So did I, but the episode before was absolutely heartbreaking.
One of the lesser known units in the Battle of the bulge is the 82nd airborne which was told to hold Saint Vith. There is a story about a soldier from the 82nd assuming a defensive position outside the town while other soldiers were retreating. As shown in Band of brothers they took ammunition from the retreating soldiers when a tank came through the defenses the 82nd Soldier stopped it . He told the tank Commander to get behind him as that was as far as the Germans were going to get.
The supply problems were due to several reasons. First was weather - snow and fog made the drop zones hard to find. Second was the constantly shifting battle lines - positions held one day would be in German hands the next. Third was communication - all of the wired telecom lines had been cut so communication was limited to wireless radios which worked well but weren't perfect. The supply situation got better when the weather, finally, cleared but, even then it wasn't enough, since supplies for an entire division plus some of the other units that fought alongside the 101st, had to be airdropped. It was only solved once Patton's Third Army finally broke through and the Germans were pushed out of the area. The story of the supply efforts are pretty amazing in and of themselves.
I've been searching for so many of these clips!! Watching this brought back so much nostalgia, I was 8 years old when this series first hooked me; i'm 22 now.
I met the actor that played Doc Roe at a Band of Brothers reunion in Bastogne during December of 2015. He was a kind, interesting, intelligent man. I liked him very much.
Colonel: "Sir, General MacAuliffe turned down a German demand for surrender. Know what he said?" General Patton: "What?" Colonel: "He said 'nuts'." Patton: (laughing) "Keep them moving, Colonel. A man that eloquent HAS to be saved." "Patton" (1970)
I still prefer the British commander in 'A Bridge Too Far' : German soldier: "My commander has sent me to negotiate terms of surrender." British commander: "I'm sorry, but we don't have the facilities to take you all prisoner. We'd like to accept your surrender, but we can't. Was there anything else?"
The blue scarf, which Eugene uses at the end, belonged to the French nurse, it was her headscarf. In the end, he followed his advice, that piece of fabric can be used as a bandage on a wounded person.
In the Rules of war- Medics were not to be shot. The Allies didn’t shoot at German Medics but the Germans disregarded the Rules of War agreement and shot Medics, so they were at greater risk since they had to get to the wounded at the front- unarmed. I know because my Dad was a WW2 Medic in this very location.
I believe that a lot of the forests around Bastogne are not natural, but rather planted by men, so the trees are evenly distributed in lines. Do the entire airbourne position was easily spotted by German soldiers. The term Battle of the Bulge was termed because of how closely the position of the allied lines and advance into Germany was in newspapers in the United states, everyone kept track of the maps everyday. And then one day the German counterattack began and suddenly there was a bulge of German controlled territory in the middle of the allied lines. The purpose of the counterattack was to split through the allied lines, then march on the port city of Antwerp and to surround and annihilate Field Marshal Montgomery's army. This would have resulted in even greater allied casualties and a further disruption of the allied supply lines. But the allied leadership realized the opportunity in the crisis, tens of thousands of German troops and thousands of tanks were now out in the open and could themselves be surrounded and destroyed. That's why the airborne holding their position was so important, by halting and delaying the German counterattack it would allow Patton's Third Army to hit the German's on their flank. As terrible an experience as it was for the men who fought through it, defeating Hitler's counterattack probably helped to hasten the end of war in Europe
I can confirm that the woods around Bastogne (at least the Bois Jacques and others in the vicinity) are farmed tree forests. While they may have been replanted once or twice since the Second World War, the owners of those properties are incredibly gracious and open their lands to History Tourism. as such, they are incredibly respectful of the actions that happened there and have left the foxholes intact. I spent Christmas in Bastogne with a dearly departed friend one year, and we spent the day hiking throughout the battlefields. That year, the memorial to the 101st Airborne at the Bois Jacques was installed, and it was my honor to stop and leave a pack of Lucky Strikes on the memorial as a tribute to those who couldn't enjoy them any longer. it's my hope to return there someday. the silence in the woods is deafening.
@@genghisgalahad8465 That's how I would put it myself. The portrayal has been Patton rescuing the 101 in a lot of media before BoB, and it certainly was the case in the movie Patton. Because it has the narrative of the cavalry arriving in the knick of time to relieve the townsfolk or something like that. But the airborne ground the German advance to a halt without air support and very little armor and artillery support. And there were other reasons that the airborne fought tooth and nail because of rumors and stories about the brutality of the SS Panzer divisions. There were a series of massacres of POWs and Belgian civilians carried out during the German advance, on December 17th, 1944 outside of a village called Malmedy, eighty-four American prisoners were shot dead and left in a field by their German captors. All totalled 373 Americans were murdered after they surrendered during the Battle of the Bulge.
@@martinloss4171 Deadlier perhaps in terms of sheer numbers, but percentage-wise, the Pacific was deadlier. 40% of US POWs died in the Pacific, while only 1.5% died in Europe. Per thousand men committed per day, average casualty rates for U.S. ground combat units in Pacific Amphibious Campaigns were 1.78 killed in action, compared to only 0.36 in European Protracted Campaigns. The equivalent wounded figures are 5.50 (Pacific) and 1.74 (Europe).
Pouring one out to my great grandfather & great uncle who fought at the Battle of the Bulge. They were both real ones; RIP Across each of his 5 deployments my husband says the most traumatic experiences for him weren’t during combat engagements but witnessing the medbays & loading med evac flights. Two great orgs my military/vet fam works with are Wounded Warriors & Fisher House. Lots of local Vet organizations need help too, anyone so inclined should definitely research how to lend a hand in your area.
Band of Brothers reactions being released on Memorial Day, 77th anniversary of D-Day and American Independence Day. You guys rolled a Nat 20 PS You guys just have to check out the Pacific afterwards. It could be considered the sibling series to Band of Brothers as it too was produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg. If you can, check out From the Earth to the Moon (miniseries). Follows the Apollo program and is of course produced by Tom Hanks
This is my favorite episode of this series; the quiet and melancholy trough it sticked with for days and weeks after I watched. Pure nightmare. Props to all the actors involved, especially to Shane Taylor for portraying Eugene so well in here!
Full watch-a-long reactions: bit.ly/3ghZFWH
Love your thoughts and reactions, please keep going. Appreciated.
Is your BoB reaction available on the TH-cam full reaction or is that just for wandavision?
Wacth saving private Ryan great ww2 movie
If you like this miniseries you should also react to "THE PACIFIC". It is excellent from every point of view and is produced by the same directors as "BAND OF BROTHERS".
I just noticed the picture of the two of you in the background, dressed in GOT garb... and I love it!!! Very cool.
It gave me a chuckle while watching your reactions to this sad and important show. 😔. Both my grandfather and great Uncle fought in this war and survived. They never forgot for the rest of their lives what they saw there, and the buddies they lost. This mini series holds a very special place in my family's heart. Thank you for choosing Band of Brothers ❤
3 rules about combat medics:
1, good men will die
2, Doc can't save everyone
3, Doc will go through Hell and back trying to break rules 1&2
Don't forget my medics favorite "pain is the patients problem"
Doc was the most protected person in the platoon.
Every infantryman loves their corpsmen and combat medics.
God bless them all.
Especially after 2020... god f*kin’ bless the Doc.
4. If you die, you can't help anyone.
The Belgian nurse who died in the church was Renee Lamaire. Today she's known as "Angel of Bastogne".
yep, and she had evacuated 6 wounded men and was going back for a 7th when the church was destroyed.
Thank you for sharing that 💕
@Ke Ge True.
@@davidbennett1357 Have you watched "reel history" channel? There is a history professor with a lot of information! I heard that from his story's. Must watch!
The nurse was a real person, the “Angel of Bastogne”
Rene was motivated by that nurse. The actual "Rene" never met Eugene and didnt die like that.
The Black Nurse is a real person too if you want Searching for Augusta on Amazon Prime is about her and how no one knew who she actually was before 2014ish beautiful story and well worth a watch
Renee Lemaire. There's a state / memorial to her service in Bastogne. Her heroism is honored to this day in the small community, the country of Belgium, and indeed, the entire world.
I was looking forward to reading about her in the book and there’s no mention of her
I believe he actually survived that blast and died later in the war whilst serving elsewhere!
Both nurses were real people, the one that wore the scarf died, the other survived and was Augusta Chiwy, she lived to the ripe old age of 94.
Their stories are amazing. I encourage you to read about them.
@@praetorxian Do you know if there is any books on them?
@@anansajohnson9139 have a look on the documentary Augusta Chiwy - The Forgotten Angel of Bastogne. I'm from Brussels-Belgium, Lady Chiwi last home was a rest house for elders (Home Magnolia), just at the corner of my street, I knew that years after she passed away.
The reason why Winters was shaving was because he had to be a respectful leader. There was definitely no time for it but small things like that can help improve morale in a situation like that.
Right. By maintaining yourself, you can give the others hope and make them trust you. Good point.
The Army required men to shave in the field to ensure a good seal when wearing gas masks. When I was in the Navy in the 80s, beards were forbidden for the same reason.
Col. Sink ordered all officers in the 506th to shave regularly.
Winters was also pretty disciplined when it came to army regulations
It’s also good hygiene as taught in field training. It’s cold to be sure, but with dead men decaying in the open... [insert plethora of reasons here].
Another interesting note...
A lot of the foxholes in this episode and the next are still there. There are a lot of TH-cam videos showing them, and showing Easy's position. At 17:52 when Smokey Gordon is shot and paralyzed, like 50 years later, they went back, recognized his foxhole, and in fact, found the coffee mug that he spilled when he was shot. After the war, with a lot of physical therapy, he regained the use of his legs.
Smokey was actually one of the catalysts for the Band Of Brothers book originally, as he was neighbours and friends with Stephen A. Ambrose who wrote the book after interviewing the men.
I thought he was totally dead😔😔
@callmecatalyst ah u seen history buffs too eh? Where everyone thought he died then he just turned up to a reunion
Almost none of this is true.
@@JaneNayes actually it is
@@WildBill1992 nope
Today in 1944, troops made their way across the English Channel to storm the beaches of Normandy. Remember them as you watch this reaction tonight. Their bravery, their sacrifice, and how they gave their all, some gave literally their all.
Bastogne was an absolutely brutal part of the campaign. It’s hard to even fathom what these men, women, and children experienced.
Thank you Nikki and Steven as always for treating this show, these men and their families with the respect and attention this deserves. Lest we forget.
Btw the strafing run was to warn the guys away from the drop zone and not fired at them. Allied troops had an understandable tendacy to rush onto zones when the supplies were still airborne in the chutes so the fighter escort was told to conduct what's called zone clearance runs to stop ground troops from getting hit by dropped supplies. Doc Roe is still remembered as a legend in the US army medical corps, his bravery and commitment was even more than shown in this show.
I don't believe any US pilot would purposely fire within a few yards of his own troops. The pilots know how dangerous that is. Just my opinion.
@@paulcurlin2789 Yeah, but identification from the air of troops on the ground is difficult at best.
@@gregall2178 That's what I'm saying. The P-47 pilots would only have fired if they thought the ground troops were Germans.
@@paulcurlin2789 I think I heard was that the drops were being taken by the enemy. That's why in the beginning they said they dropped the supplies to the enemy. The planes were keeping what they thought were the enemy away from the new supplies.
@@TheWindcrow I wasn't arguing that Lol. The original poster here said that the US planes were intentionally firing near US troops. It wasn't so.
This is my favourite episode, as difficult as it is to watch. He’s running around providing both medical, psychological health, and general needs of his platoon. Medics are amazing people.
During the attack on the town Renee evacuated 6 wounded soldiers from the basement of that hospital. She died trying to get a 7th. Even though Eugene and Renee probably didn't really have a conversation in real life I like that they added her in the show. Kind of wish they got more of her story though.
Slight correction. She was not at the hospital (church) but in a hotel just up the street that was on fire. Her body was wrapped in a silk parachute and delivered to her parents who lived a few miles away.
In those scenes Eugene Roe is representing any and or all of the medics Renee would have been interacting with.
That’s what happens when you do a historical drama, sometimes you need to take someone and have them tell someone else’s story, because they story needs to be told, but you really can’t spend the amount of screen time to introduce a bunch of new characters just to tell one story. It’s easier to have alway have it be Doc Roe when you need a medic in a scene.
Came in point in the previous episode where you have Jimmy Kimmel (was that it?) portraying his relative who was the one who made all those ammo runs. We really don’t know if his encounter with Captain Winters ever Happened, it’s just could have easily happened with any other company in this battalion, or any of the other battalions in the 501st. But your not going to spend the screen time introducing 7 member of Dog Company 4 battalion just to have that one scene are you. So you shift and and all out favorite members of Easy Company for this one scene are generic characters framing this one second Lt and his keep full of ammo
My grandpa was a fresh replacement on January 1st 1945 in the Battle of the Bulge. He was shelled while in his foxhole and severely injured on January 4th. He spent less than four days in action, but he spent over a year in hospitals, and was discharged as 100% disabled. My grandma said he never, ever spoke of it.
Whether its 4 days or 4 years. Great Respect to your grandpa for giving himself bravely to his country.
The M on the soldier's forehead is to indicate he's already been given morphine, so the hospital won't give him a second dose, which would be fatal. This actually had to be done for Bob Dole, with the injuries that paralyzed his arm.
Same thing with Daniel Inouye, when he was shot in the arm with a German rifle grenade. They had to amputate his arm without administering more anaesthesia because of the morphine. Took 8 hours to get him to a field hospital.
This has always been the episode that gets me when I watch it. Especially the soldier who still says "I'm glad I'm not in Bastogne" on cold nights.
“Nuts” or “Nuts to you” was considered the polite way of telling someone to go to hell.
I've been watching your reactions! It's like watching them for the first time again vicariously! Shifty Powers was local to me. His obituary was in our local paper, and I'm still kicking myself that I never managed to save a the physical copy. One of my favorite stories of Bastogne, however, was one about Shifty that Winters recorded in the book Band of Brothers, but didn't make it into the show. Shifty comes to him one day to say there's a new tree out in the woods. Everyone looks at him like he's insane, what do you mean a new tree? Shifty insists there's a tree out there that wasn't there yesterday. Winters calls in an air strike, and sure enough, it was an artillery piece that the Germans were building and had disguised to look like a tree. Only Hillbilly Shifty who'd spent his whole life in the woods would notice that there was a new tree. But he noticed, and saved who knows how many lives.
The actor that played Eugene (Doc) is actually English and I think he nailed that Cajun accent!
Most of the actors are British. They filmed most of this series in England and they used a British casting agency which is why dick winters is played by a brit and the show has Simon Pegg, stephen Graham, Michael Fassbender, Tom Hardy, James McAvoy. Sgt Martin, Pencala, Liebgott and O’Keefe are all tea drinking Brits
Funny enough, Black Hawk Down used the same casting agency and a bunch of Brits got cast in that movie as army Rangers lol
All the best American military roles are going to the English
@@youtubecommenter37 British are just better actors than americans
@@JaneNayes No they're not. Marlon Brando is the greatest actor and Meryl Streep is the greatest actress.
@riodelizo9120 He is English & American.
The story of the medics always moved me. The idea of them running through enemy fire to get to the wounded while others were taking cover just gets me. The courage it must have taken. I am the proud descendant of two war nurses. :-) Awesome women who stepped up.
20:40, No, I think he's making a tourniquet to stop the bleeding.
They can save you life
Yeah its called TCCC tactical combat casualty care 1st stage is care underpriced and it involved tying a tourniquet and shooting your way out
The Screaming Eagles ...the 101st...were some of the bravest men who ever lived. Remember them today, and always. ❤💙
As a former member of the 101st, I wholeheartedly appreciate your support ❤️. Air Assault!!
@@josephmartinez9468 When did you serve?
Thank you ❤💙
@@kathleenclark815 2012-2015. OEF.
@@josephmartinez9468 I don't know what OEF means..? Sorry lol. But respect, man.
@@kathleenclark815 Operation Enduring Freedom.
"This is hard to watch"
(Knowing about 7 and 9)
Hang tough!
Doc is a total badass! What an amazing human!
Eps 7 and 9 are the ones that hit me the hardest. Every time I watch. This one is a close 3rd. Can't wait for next week.
winters was shaving to uphold grooming standards, even in the worst of circumstances. it's a pride and morale thing.
Yep, Officers are meant to lead by example and since he is a Captain, Winters has to hold himself to a certain standard. All officers do, you're a leader, men are watching you.
Google some images of guys in Bastogne and the Marines especially that have full beards from weeks of nonstop fighting.
@@rubenlopez3364 yeah for sure! i noticed in the show bill guarnere also had some scruff/a beard during this episode. i'm sure it was much more widespread, especially with the cold!
The practical reason was so your gas mask could properly seal and protect you in case of a gas attack. Hitler learned this the hard way in WW 1. He got mustard gassed and his long thick mustache stopped his mask from working and he got it all. Hence the Charlie Chaplin mustache to make sure that never happened to him again.
There is a very charming video on TH-cam where Winters is presented a painting done of him talking to a generic Officer, NCO and Infantryman in the Bois Jacques. He joked about how he was, accurately, the only one who was clean shaven in the painting.
Nothing, absolutely nothing can prepare you for each and every scene in each and every episode of this series. I think it's so difficult because it was real memories for these heroes.
Honestly nothing could have prepared me for what happened half-way through Episode 9. I actually don't want to see their reaction it was so hard to watch. I had to stop watching for the first time in the series. To this day I haven't finished that episode. It's just too sad.
@@wrenlinwhitelight3007 It's so strange but I kept looking away, while at the same time saying I have to see this.
The moment in this episode that so perfectly sums up these guys is the moment when Eugene is treating the soldier with the horrible leg wound...and they guy, knowing morphine is in short supply, tells him that he'll just take the pain, and to save the morphine for someone who might need it more. How do you not feel in awe of guys like that?
When Winters was shaving, not only was he doing it to keep up a routine, but he also did it to show his men that he had plans to be around for a while. And a beard just wasn't Winters' style...I'm sure you've gathered that Winters is very methodical and calculated in his approach to the way he does his job. This was a small example of that....and phrases like "We're not lost private, we're in Normandy!" or "We're paratroopers lieutenant, we're supposed to be surrounded!"...were all real events that they made a point of putting in the movie to display just what a true leader Winters was to his men; even under the most trying of circumstances.
The girl, actually both of them, were based on real people. Renee Lemaire died in a bombing on Dec 24th. She is known as the 'Angel of Bastogne.' and there are memorials to her there. While there is no known interaction between her and Doc Roe as shown in the show, they included it to show her, and her story.
The other girl, Anna, is based on Augusta Chiwy, who survived the bombing on the 24th. She was blown through a wall, but was otherwise unhurt. She worked as a nurse the remainder of the war, and passed away in 2015. Was recognized by both the American and Belgian gov'ts in her lifetime for her work done during the battle.
Bloody Bastogne... Amazing US soldiers fighting hard with very little, reminds me of Mogadishu October 93, we kiwis went in to help our American brothers during the fight for Berkara market, went in with 1k 5.56 for my SAW, 4 frag/ Willie Pete's and a 9mm hi power pistol back up, after nearly 16 hours fighting, had 1 frag and 11 rounds for my Browning, plus a gsw to my left leg and grenade fragments in the back of my head.....life is experience, good or bad, love my American brothers and Sisters!!
And even at 52, I'd do it again for my foreign family!!
On D-Day let’s commemorate & thank all of our soldiers, past, present & future who fight & sacrifice to keep us safe, their families as well ❤️🤍💙
So at the time this was going on in Bastogne, my grandpa and "The Big Red 1" were to the south and east of the 101st, in similar weather and circumstances in the Alsace Forest of France. He was sitting on the edge of his foxhole when a German mortar shell struck nearby, and shrapnel nearly took off his left arm. Unlike the 101st, they weren't cut off, so he was moved to the battalion aid station, then up to the regimental field hospital, and finally back to England, where all the king's horses and all the king's men put him back together again. He was returned to the front lines just after the new year, 1945, and followed General Patton's tanks through Belgium and into Germany.
There's no evidence that Renee Lemaire and Eugene "Doc" Rowe ever met in real life, but they were both there, and a lot of guys made it home thanks to their efforts. Renee Lemaire is memorialized as "The Angel of Bastogne."
Beautiful story. Thank you for sharing and thank your Grandpa for his exemplary service in the Big Red 1. I first learned about them as a child from the Call of Duty game named after it, and then later in a military history class. A true honor to be a descendant of one of those heroes.
So I would assume you've seen "The Big Red One", then?
@@gregall2178 were you @ing me or the OP?
And don't forget Augusta Chiwy either the 'forgotten' angel of Bastogne
I had 4 uncles on my mum's side who all fought in WW2 and survived it, John joined the British Army in March 1939 and went through the African and Italian campaigns ending his war in Austria, he was finally demobbed in 1953 after fighting in Korea, Reg was a Territorial with the BEF and escaped from Dunkirk, he was not returned to the Army as he was a panel beater with Supermarine and he was needed to train personnel to make the wings of Spitfires, Alwyn the eldest was a tank commander, he was wounded during the early part of 1940 and returned to England as an instructor, Jasper joined the Navy but was sent to the Army after Dunkirk and ended up fighting the Japanese in Burma.
As a huge fan of Band of Brothers and also a huge fan of reaction channels, I can't believe this is the first time I've ever seen anyone react to this show. I'm glad it was you two. Not only are you my favorite movie and TV reactors, but you've been knocking this one out of the park. You're making me feel what I felt the first time I watched this show. Thanks for doing this!
Check out "The Homies" and "Kat & Sonny"; they are both good reactors to this series. I'm a big fan BoB as well.
@@hornetgags Check out Stephen E Ambrose’s book. It’s what the series is based on.
Another regiment who were at Bastogne suffered the Germans trying to demoralize them with propaganda songs. Then a certain 18 year old minesweeper had a rather naughty idea, and retaliated by playing Al Jolson back at them (while the true extent of the Holocaust wasn't yet known, it was pretty clear that the Nazis really hated Jews). His name? Mel Brooks. Yes, that one.
Mel Brooks is a damn legend.
They didn’t hate them. Read the transcripts of the speeches and try to find an actual plain insult or racist remark. Sounds nuts right. Try it.
@@alwaysbanned4812 You go and read some nazis laws, go read about Holocaust you clown.
My Dad was a Navy Corpsman for 23 years. From Korea to Vietnam.
(kind of like a medic but don't call them that)
Corpsman were regularly attached to Marine units.
The Navy takes double duty as many enlisted corpsmen become IDCs, or Independent Duty Corpsmen.
Considered the equal of a Physician’s Assistant in the civilian world (but their military credentials don’t carry over), IDCs in most cases are the primary caregiver while a ship is underway, or a unit is deployed. After becoming an IDC, the sailor is qualified to write prescriptions, conduct specific medical procedures, and treat many ailments during sick call.
He always carried a pistol on long after he got out, I'm sure he carried one while he was in the service. It's not a rule that you have to be unarmed if you are a medic. .
Glad to be learning here about medics and corpsmen who served in the military and about those during the Second World War.
A fond remembrance of the Men who stormed Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword beaches.
What about the men and women who fought in Battle of Stalingrad?
@@ArthurKnight1899 It is the 77th anniversary of D-Day today. Can we take a moment to think about that? Does that take away from any other battle remembrances?
@@ArthurKnight1899 What Tracy said.
Easy company really respect doc. Eugene Roe especially during bastogne because he was injured at that time but still mananged to rescue wounded men and refused to be transfered to be treated because he didnt want to leave the Easy men without a medic and there isnt any proof that doc. Roe and Renee interacted with each other but its possible because they are in the same place they just wanted to atleast include her story.
In one of Malarkey's book he actually mentioned doc. Roe's behavior and explained that.. "If you see Doc. Roe he just usually sit quitely far from all of us and he will just look infront of him and you can totally see that his losing it. Doc. Roe saw more death than any of us so who couldn't blame him. We really thought that he deserved a medal espcially his service during bastogne but sadly Lt. Dike didnt approve".
Been so long since i read the book but i clearly remembered that statement from Sgt. Malarkey.
I remember watching this in the middle of a heatwave and somehow feeling cold.
The combination of acting, set design and set dressing drills the cold into you.
Which is amazing, considering it was very warm in the warehouse where they filmed the Bastogne stuff. Great filmmaking, great acting.
I should do that as it is 100 degrees here in the desert.
My dad and I were both history buffs, so we used to go and visit Civil War battlefields. At Shiloh, there is a small military cemetery, and I still remember one marker there. It's probably been close to 20 years since I visited, so I've forgotten the name, but I still remember the dates. This soldier was born on Christmas Day, (Dec. 25, 1927) and died on Dec. 24, 1944. The day before his 17th birthday. I don't know for sure that this particular soldier was at Bastogne, but I always think of him when I watch this episode.
Like you, i am also compelled to visit battlefields and memorials. My last trip to see them for myself was to go to Bastogne at Christmastime and see, feel, and hopefully understand the import of the sacrifices made. Years later, it's my hope that i have had at least a small glimpse of that understanding. I broke down and cried at the memorial to the 101st Airborne just outside of the Bois Jacques.
It's amazing how quickly you become emotionally invested in each of these men.
the Bois Jacques still roars, in silence, with the echoes of time. can confirm. i left a pack of Lucky Strikes on the nearby memorial for those who couldn't enjoy them. i'll never forget my time in Bastogne.
Can't even count how many times I've watched this series. I watch it every year around memorial day as a tradition. Greatest mini series for the Greatest generation.
This episode alone shows why combat service members have so much respect and gratitude for a good medic. Good medics are more than worth their weight in gold.
I don't know if you guys saw the making of already, but episode 6 and 7 were both filmed in a giant warehouse. The whole forest is indoors.
I visited Bastogne a couple of years back and its insane to see the fox holes and how far Foy is across open ground. Amazing anyone made it out of there.
Great reaction! My grandfather, Nicholas Herman Gieschen senior, from Wilmington North Carolina was trapped there in Bastonge with the 101st airborne. My dad asked him years later if he wanted to go camping in the winter here in Florida and immediately said "no,but hell no" and I can see why. The reminders of the snowy cold winter in Bastonge, watching your fellow comrades in arms get shelled and bombarded from Nazis German artillery. The same can be said why he didn't want to go to the beach for long, the reminders from D-day on Omaha Beach. Battle of The Buldge was hell on earth! R.I.P to my grandfather and all other ww2 veterans who served, fought and died for our freedoms
You’ve left similar comments on other channels about a grandfather you claim served with 101st in Bastogne AND Omaha Beach. For which there is no record of either except you or similar comments.
@@genghisgalahad8465 so are u saying that I'm bullshiting my own family's history?!
@@boyscouts83712 it’s not anywhere in the public record. Doesn’t mean it wasn’t true but it isn’t anywhere. And it’s puzzling as well. Perhaps you misheard a story or two here and there and got events mixed up. It’s puzzling.
@@genghisgalahad8465 he was an army engineer and got trapped in the Battle of the Buldge by mistake. Go to a ww2 website or hell even The national ww2 museum in New Orleans will show that my grandfather was actually there! Goodnight
@@boyscouts83712 ok will do!
This was my personal favorite episode. I wanted to be a SO medic, so it really spoke to me.
The most heart breaking scene when you hear the long scream of medic. I can't imagine it
@@holstfly1 I was just imagining hearing the forest explode around you, men screaming. Guess it’s why it appealed to me. One man trying to put the world back together as it gets destroyed around him.
Same. I love this episode. I couldn't even imagine having to go through the hell these men went through. They are the most bad ass dudes to have ever lived. And probably will ever be.
I think as far as I know, this is the most famous and favorite part out of the series.
More people like you. I always wanted to be a soldier but medic's work was never fully appreciated I think. You are there to help people. Not kill others.
Medics were the best. 2 of them gave their lives trying to save my grandfather in France.
My grandfather and his assistant were machine gunned, the latter taking the burst in the face and dying immediately while my grandfather was hit across the back from the sides, as he was hunched over at the time, collapsing one of his lungs and barely missed his heart. The rest of the squad thought they were both dead and left him like that poor soldier in this episode. Luckily my grandfather had been carrying the unit's radio/walkie talkie in addition to his BAR machine gun (due to attrition over the previous weeks and too few replacements) and eventually managed to get it working, contacting his company commander. 2 medics came up to get him and were killed by a German tank hiding in the woods, after which the company commander sent up a smoke screen with more medics and a bazooka crew, which supposedly took the tank out. The next group of medics retrieved my grandfather and put him in a cot on the hood of the jeep, just like it was shown in this episode with another scene. Although they didn't expect him to live, my grandfather pulled through, much to the help of the medical staff. It can not be overstated how wonderful the medics were and the existence of my father and all of our line is because of the selfless sacrifice those two men, whose names I don't know, made for my grandfather.
Thank you for sharing the story with us about your Grandfather. Mine was also in the war, he drove a flail tank up the beaches on D-Day clearing mines. The only story he ever told was from D-Day, his friend was driving alongside in another tank and got blown up by a mortar round. He didn’t tell my Mum and her family anything else, I’ve been searching the internet and archives for as much information as we can find on him.
It may have been too painful for him to tell us himself, but none of us want what he did to be forgotten with time.
Your grandfather sounds like he was an incredibly brave and resourceful man.
@@MothproofKT Thank you for the kind words. Was your grandfather American, British, or Canadian? If you are American, unfortunately a large chunk of the WW2 archives were lost in a fire while being stored in St. Louis. I was lucky that I did manage to find some things at the National Archives (such as radio transcripts) for his regiment, had his letters to my grandmother, and some stories he told my father after he lost his temper on my father and his friend after his friend brought some Iron crosses he bought into the house (and he sat them down and explained why he reacted that way). If you are British or Canadian (or even American regardless of the fire) you might want to contact your National Archives to see what collections they might posses that have not been digitized yet.
You are right about my grandfather being brave and resourceful, I am very proud of him. He was awarded the D.S.C. (just under the Medal of Honor) for single handedly attacking and silencing German strongpoints twice in one day during the breakout from Anzio, Italy, despite bleeding profusely from a mortar round taking off the center of his lower lip (something I vividly remember about him as a child), on May 23, 1944. The same company commander that he radioed later in the war after being wounded had witnessed it and recommended him for the Medal of Honor.
At any rate, men like our grandfathers, as you said, generally did not talk about the war. It always seemed the more of war someone saw, the less they wanted to talk about it.
Thank you as well for sharing your grandfather's story. Minesweeping is a tough job even when not under fire, it must have particularly tough when in an active warzone and in an obvious target like a Sherman or Churchill minesweeper.
Since I've watched this I believe that every high school senior class should have to watch this.
12:48 If you notice, the sergeant requested Doc Roe to stay back ("Doc, why don't you. . . ."). This is because, at that time, medics were under the direct command of the company commander (which, in Doc Roe's case, meant Lt. Dike) or those of higher rank or position (such as Winters). The sergeant had no right to order Doc Roe to stay back, and Doc Roe respected the sergeant and the latter's judgement by calling him by his rank.
Also, at the end, this featured Bastogne being shelled. The Germans didn't target the building specifically; they were out to hit anything they could, and the makeshift hospital was just one of those targets.
Actually they bombed it not shelled it from memory and the aid station / field hospital was actually in the basement of a local shop.
Steven: "Winter has come"
Nikki: *rolls eyes*
Steve and Winter’s soldiers...
There was a documentary series called "Commanders at War" that would compare and contrast the tactics, techniques, equipment and leadership of the opposing sides in iconic battles in WW2, and in the episode about the Battle of the Bulge, I remember a historian analyzing the allied side of the battle said that the 101st Airborne was "one of the greatest divisions in the history of warfare."
What was the series? I'd like to watch that!
@@scottmorey6212 I'm glad you asked! I couldn't remember the name, so I had to dig a lot to find it, and it made me realize that I remembered some stuff wrong. It aired in 2009, and though it was made in England, it apparently wasn't on the BBC, and it only covered battles in WW2. IMDB and Wikipedia list the series as "Commanders at War" and it is also known as "Generals at War." It has six episodes: Singapore, Midway, El Alamein, Stalingrad, Kursk, and Battle of the Bulge. Several people have uploaded episodes on TH-cam, and I'll post a link to the Battle of the Bulge episode in a separate comment (comments with links tend to get auto-deleted by TH-cam, so that's why I'm separating it). I hope you enjoy it.
@@waterbeauty85 thank you waterbeauty (great name btw), appreciate you digging it up and I'll go find it next time I get a chance!
When I was in H.S. we studied WWII for almost 2 months. We read, we watched documentaries, we were assigned some other books to read that gave us perspectives of the people in the occupied countries. I gained a decent understanding of the politics and the struggles of those times. Watching a movie like Saving Private Ryan (the storming of Normandy beach) and a series like this gives you a glimpse of what our soldiers went through and all the sacrifices that were made. No matter what you see on the screen, know that it is only a pale reflection of what happened IRL. You're seeing a Hollywoodized version of ugly.
This is why this period in our history should be studied and not avoided. We don't study this to make us feel bad, or hurt our "fefe's", or see horrible things. We study this to see the mistakes made so we can avoid them. We can't stick our heads in the sand and hope this never happens again. We need to learn the history so we can see the signs and know that if we go down a certain road... this is our inevitable destination.
100% accurate. You'd be shocked at the number of reactions for movies like Schindler's List where they say "didn't cover this in school" or they didn't cover more than a paragraph on the Holocaust. Kids don't need 4 months on Ancient China & Egypt. Ww2 is one of those things that needs to be studied and learned from, lest history repeat itself.
Nothing but love until my dying breath for the field docs. Just imagine what the death toll would have been if not for medics and corpsmen. My ass and plenty of brothers would have never come home if not for them.
Thank you ❤💙
@@kathleenclark815 None needed. My grandpa served in the 101. His story isn’t part of E-company’s, but just as brutal. I owed a debt, and paid what I could through three tours. Still a pittance compared to those that didn’t come home.
@@HintonJonathan I still thank you. My Uncle was in WWII and flew many missions over Germany. My father was also in the Army National Guard in the 60's.
@@kathleenclark815 Much love to them and you. USMC 0317 scout sniper, air support saved my ass and those I love more than I wanna remember.
@@HintonJonathan Much respect for the USMC. I live in San Diego..so grew up with a lot of my friends going in out of high school in 1991.
One of my favorite episodes. So happy yall are doing this series.
When he finds Renee's bandana it always gets me. It's like seeing a possible future torn away from someone.
War is long periods of boredom punctuated by moments of sheer terror.
The black nurse from the Congo (a Belgian colony in Africa at that time) working with Renee was a real person too; she only died in 2015, in Belgium at the age of 94.
Although he's portrayed in the series as a replacement, John Julian actually went through basic training with Babe Heffron and they'd been good friends from that point onwards, agreeing, along with another friend (who survived the war) that, in the event of their death, the others would contact their family and do their best to return their personal possessions to them. They were ultimately able to recover his body after repelling the German forces. Heffron was so ashamed that he'd been unable to save his friend that it was twelve years before he was able to bring himself to honour their agreement and contact Julian's mother.
Love the inclusion of Renee Lamaire
Although it's a shame they didn't give Augusta her real name though
My favourite episode of the series and my favourite TV series episode ever also! Such a faacinating inaight into WW2 medics and a different take on the typical episode of this series. It hit hard on many levels and had some amazing acting.
I was in Bastogne few weeks ago. There are gun turrets at all entrance roads of the village,pointing out. It was impressive.
There are also fields with deep craters not far away of the 1st WW. Covered in craters as far as you can see.
On this Day seventy seven years ago, my grandfather was storming Omaha beach and following the path this band of brothers travels!
One minute they're singing "Stille Nacht" and the next they are shelling the Americans.
“I promised him if he got hit, I’d get his stuff and bring it to his ma, you know? Now the fucking krauts’ll strip him.”
“It’s okay…”
“It’s not! It’s not okay…..I should’a got to him.”
Shit makes me cry every time.
Steven: "How are they going to fight tanks?" Excellent question! Now I know this show is about Easy Company and the 101st but even in episode 3 there's a "Well hello 2nd Armored". What we aren't taught in school is there was part of an armored division in Bastogne with the 101st. In the previous episode the Jimmy Fallon character is from Combat Command B of the 10th armored division. That's how they were able to fight tanks.
Massive operation, I’m learning little by little, and show/episode itself one pivotal slice of one battle itself in the entire theatre/war.
Don't forget the field artillery regiments. Their combat record of the siege is amazing. From indirect fire to point blank shots.
@@striker0243 yeah i said in a different comment, it was a stroke of luck (in an otherwise bad situation) that General McAuliffe was in command of the 101st at the time. McAuliffe had a background in field artillery and really understood how to utilize it best in the desperate circumstances the Americans were in.
My uncle lived in Oregon and when this show came out he got a copy of the book and looked up where Donald Malarkey lives and went to the guys house and asked for an autograph. Malarkey invited him and for coffee and signed his book and chatted with him for a while. Super cool really nice guy.
Thank you guys for doing these reviews. There's guys deserve to never be forgotten.
Interesting production note, there was no snow used at all during the making of this show. All of that 'snow' is paper. Shreded, cut up, confettied, you name it, all paper. Over 330,000 pounds of recycled paper were used to create the snow for the forest set, and it took four weeks to dress the entire set.
The entire episode is filmed indoors.
@@GK-yi4xv Yes, This one is. As is most of the next one/ But, few people know about the paper snow aspect, most assume they trucked snow in, or used a snow making machine. So I shared an interesting production tidbit, since they have referenced production several times throughout their reaction so far.
One of the things they did when I was in the 101st in the 90s to commemorate The Battle of the Bulge was every January we spent the entire month in the field for training and to make sure we could take the cold even though of course Kentucky is nowhere near as cold as it was that winter in northern Europe. Rendezvous With Destiny.
on this day, i extend thanks to you and yours for the sacrifices you made to help keep me, a simple stateside civilian, safe from the terrors of war. it is a debt that i cannot fully ever repay. My research of the Second World War brought me to Europe, then to Belgium, and then finally to the Bois Jacques on Christmas Eve to fully see and hopefully partially understand the level of sacrifices made. The foxholes are still there, and however inappropriate it may seem now, i felt compelled to leave a pack of Lucky Strikes on the memorial to the 101st Airborne, a short way from the woods -a gift for those who couldn't enjoy them any longer. It was a moment of profound humility for me. i hope to return someday.
There's a story about US Tanks pulling into the fight and asking an airborne trooper where the front line was. He jumped up and said something to the effect of "Right here behind me."
You are one of the few folks that I watch to react to stuff, found you guys from the Chernobyl series, and y'all just have such a...real feel and reaction. I'm glad you don't just 'react', you 'react and analyze, learn, and live the show or film'. Anyways. No clue if y'all read comments since there's hundreds, but thanks for making my night shifts easier.
My uncle Milo fought at the Battle of the Bulge w/ the golden lions near St. Vith. He evaded capture in the woods for days before returning to friendly lines, where he was evac'd to the rear with trench foot and frost bite. Only he and one other man from his company survived. He never talked about it, but as a teen who was interested in military history, I asked for his story. He told me, then I asked why he never talked about it (I was a teen and didn't understand PTSD etc...I wouldn't do the same today), and he said, "No one ever asks me."
ETA...he and his men (he was a Sgt) shipped out from the US to England, and their deployment to St Vith (near Bastongne) was the first time they had been in combat. Imagine that....what a baptism of fire. He wrote about it in story form years later. I still have those type written pages, and they're precious to me.
The nurse has an incredible story as well (both of them, actually). I'm sure others will post the details, but it's very moving.
you guys should totally watch The Pacific after this, same kind of show but about the war in the pacific during WWII
Yeah, it’s a fantastic series..
I’m firmly of the belief that both series should absolutely be viewed at least once in your life, I’m just VERY nervous about how Nikki would cope watching it lol
@Peacefield:
I prefer Band of Brothers, since it has a (somewhat) lighter tone. The Pacific is much darker and more grim, which makes it very unpleasant to watch at times. Still an excellent series though.
I couldn't really get into the Pacific; it didn't generate that same sense of attachment to the Marines it followed as Band of Brothers did. I think that's down to BoB following one specific company of the 101st as opposed to jumping between various units in the Marine Expeditionary Force, just so you could follow the famous ones like Audie Murphy.
@@peterbrazukas7771 what you mean follow the famous ones. Furthermore the Pacific was based off Stephen and hugh Ambrose's book but also the memoirs of multiple soldiers in the series.
The Pacific campaign was so large you can't just stick to one person
The grandson of Eugene said he was told his grandfather had a lot of trouble after the war due to what he saw during the war. What a hero!
Today the ‘Day of Days’ for so many soldiers and civilians alike. I am writing this and giving you all a thumb’s up before I even watch, your content is that good.
"A man's dying is more his survivor's affair than his own." - Thomas Mann
As someone who re-watches the series semi annually as a tradition (the days leading up to 6/6 and 11/11) watching you two watch it for the first time, with fresh eyes has been my Sunday evening ritual for 6 weeks now. This is something I feel should be broadcast every year, so these men's sacrifices and what they were sacrificing for, should never be forgot. See you next Sunday.
Some of my family was under Patton. They told stories about the cold and ice and the fight to reach Bastogne and what followed. One thing they said was that the ground was frozen almost like concrete and deeply. The easiest way to dig a hole was to fire some rounds into the ground then put In TN T and blast one. Unfortunately they couldn't spare much of it for that purpose, so they hacked away until they had at least a little cover.
Dear Nikkie and Steven. Thank you for that i can be a part of your excitement over this episode and feel out the exactly same feelings with you right the time. This is one of the hardest episode of the series to watch. Not just because to see the lot of injuries but see the whole crazy events through the eye of the Doc, and feel the desperation of him, how fast and accurate he has to do what he supposed to do to save as many fellow as he can! I really appreciate what you do! It’s just a guy from Hungary.
I hope you guys will start From the Earth to the Moon. Anniversary of landing on moon coming. Its a VERY good series. Like Band of Brothers, also created by Tom Hanks. And just as rich.
That is such a great miniseries! I love that each episode has a different style, making it something like an analogy instead of continuing storyline, even though it is. My favorite eps are Spider, the first ep about Gemini, the Apollo 12 ep (Al Bean is the one moonwalker I have personally met), and the Apollo 15 ep about training these astronauts in the science of geology.
Agreed! Excellent series, again with some very well known faces.
@@kathyastrom1315 Would have love to have met Al Bean. I think of all the Apollo astronauts, he was my favourite. Always had a massive smile on his face in every interview I've seen.
Winters is the battalion XO. Other officers might be forgiven for letting their whiskers grow, but he is expected to maintain a professional appearance as an example for the others.
"If you're running short of everything except the enemy then you are in battle." - Murphy's Laws of Combat No#25
My favorite is "Remember, your weapon was made by the lowest bidder."
@@fester2306 "Incoming fire has right of way."
Another classic.
@@paulleach3612 "Never tell a platoon sergeant you have nothing to do."
the Catholic Church still stands in Bastogne. A dearly departed friend and i attended Christmas Eve Mass there one year. Knowing of the history of the space only increased the import of the sacrifices made there, and not so very long ago. It's my hope to return there someday.
Winters was the model for the Combat Leadership memorial in Normandy...
True to his nature, he wouldn't give his OK unless it was dedicated to all junior officers that served in France.
@@gaelicwarrior5064 I read Winters' war memoirs, "Beyond Band of Brothers." Very detailed. He stayed in London with an elderly couple. While the men were all carousing in town, he would go over his manuals every night to make sure he didn't make any mistakes that got guys killed. He never went out or drank.
1940s trashtalk: *Nuts!*
I had just checked your channel a few minutes ago looking for this! Yay!
I remember watching this when it first came out. I found out my supervisor at work was also watching it. It became our thing to talk about after the episodes aired. This supervisor was a man's man, prided himself on being tough and I remember after the final episode the first thing he said to me the day after was "John, I cried like a fucking baby.'
So did I, but the episode before was absolutely heartbreaking.
Bastogne is one of my favourite written episodes of anything, ever. Eugene Roe actor performance is nuanced with the harshness of winter.
One of the lesser known units in the Battle of the bulge is the 82nd airborne which was told to hold Saint Vith. There is a story about a soldier from the 82nd assuming a defensive position
outside the town while other soldiers were retreating. As shown in Band of brothers they took ammunition from the retreating soldiers when a tank came through the defenses the 82nd Soldier stopped it . He told the tank Commander to get behind him as that was as far as the Germans were going to get.
The supply problems were due to several reasons. First was weather - snow and fog made the drop zones hard to find. Second was the constantly shifting battle lines - positions held one day would be in German hands the next. Third was communication - all of the wired telecom lines had been cut so communication was limited to wireless radios which worked well but weren't perfect.
The supply situation got better when the weather, finally, cleared but, even then it wasn't enough, since supplies for an entire division plus some of the other units that fought alongside the 101st, had to be airdropped. It was only solved once Patton's Third Army finally broke through and the Germans were pushed out of the area.
The story of the supply efforts are pretty amazing in and of themselves.
I've been searching for so many of these clips!! Watching this brought back so much nostalgia, I was 8 years old when this series first hooked me; i'm 22 now.
I met the actor that played Doc Roe at a Band of Brothers reunion in Bastogne during December of 2015. He was a kind, interesting, intelligent man. I liked him very much.
My grandpa hates "Silent Night" he fought in the Battle of the Bulge & the Germans sang that during Christmas, across the fields from them.
Colonel: "Sir, General MacAuliffe turned down a German demand for surrender. Know what he said?"
General Patton: "What?"
Colonel: "He said 'nuts'."
Patton: (laughing) "Keep them moving, Colonel. A man that eloquent HAS to be saved."
"Patton" (1970)
I still prefer the British commander in 'A Bridge Too Far' : German soldier: "My commander has sent me to negotiate terms of surrender." British commander: "I'm sorry, but we don't have the facilities to take you all prisoner. We'd like to accept your surrender, but we can't. Was there anything else?"
@@plpmb elegant as always!
The blue scarf, which Eugene uses at the end, belonged to the French nurse, it was her headscarf. In the end, he followed his advice, that piece of fabric can be used as a bandage on a wounded person.
In the Rules of war- Medics were not to be shot. The Allies didn’t shoot at German Medics but the Germans disregarded the Rules of War agreement and shot Medics, so they were at greater risk since they had to get to the wounded at the front- unarmed. I know because my Dad was a WW2 Medic in this very location.
I believe that a lot of the forests around Bastogne are not natural, but rather planted by men, so the trees are evenly distributed in lines. Do the entire airbourne position was easily spotted by German soldiers. The term Battle of the Bulge was termed because of how closely the position of the allied lines and advance into Germany was in newspapers in the United states, everyone kept track of the maps everyday. And then one day the German counterattack began and suddenly there was a bulge of German controlled territory in the middle of the allied lines. The purpose of the counterattack was to split through the allied lines, then march on the port city of Antwerp and to surround and annihilate Field Marshal Montgomery's army. This would have resulted in even greater allied casualties and a further disruption of the allied supply lines. But the allied leadership realized the opportunity in the crisis, tens of thousands of German troops and thousands of tanks were now out in the open and could themselves be surrounded and destroyed. That's why the airborne holding their position was so important, by halting and delaying the German counterattack it would allow Patton's Third Army to hit the German's on their flank. As terrible an experience as it was for the men who fought through it, defeating Hitler's counterattack probably helped to hasten the end of war in Europe
I can confirm that the woods around Bastogne (at least the Bois Jacques and others in the vicinity) are farmed tree forests. While they may have been replanted once or twice since the Second World War, the owners of those properties are incredibly gracious and open their lands to History Tourism. as such, they are incredibly respectful of the actions that happened there and have left the foxholes intact. I spent Christmas in Bastogne with a dearly departed friend one year, and we spent the day hiking throughout the battlefields. That year, the memorial to the 101st Airborne at the Bois Jacques was installed, and it was my honor to stop and leave a pack of Lucky Strikes on the memorial as a tribute to those who couldn't enjoy them any longer. it's my hope to return there someday. the silence in the woods is deafening.
So the 101st Airborne vanguard did Patton’s 3rd Army an assistance and help at great risk to themselves, rather than the other way around?
@@genghisgalahad8465 That's how I would put it myself. The portrayal has been Patton rescuing the 101 in a lot of media before BoB, and it certainly was the case in the movie Patton. Because it has the narrative of the cavalry arriving in the knick of time to relieve the townsfolk or something like that. But the airborne ground the German advance to a halt without air support and very little armor and artillery support. And there were other reasons that the airborne fought tooth and nail because of rumors and stories about the brutality of the SS Panzer divisions. There were a series of massacres of POWs and Belgian civilians carried out during the German advance, on December 17th, 1944 outside of a village called Malmedy, eighty-four American prisoners were shot dead and left in a field by their German captors. All totalled 373 Americans were murdered after they surrendered during the Battle of the Bulge.
You need to watch The Pacific once you finish Band of Brothers
Oh yes! Although Europe was deadlier for the US, Asia was probably more disturbing for the soldiers (especially in the series)
@@martinloss4171 Deadlier perhaps in terms of sheer numbers, but percentage-wise, the Pacific was deadlier. 40% of US POWs died in the Pacific, while only 1.5% died in Europe. Per thousand men committed per day, average casualty rates for U.S. ground combat units in Pacific Amphibious Campaigns were 1.78 killed in action, compared to only 0.36 in European Protracted Campaigns. The equivalent wounded figures are 5.50 (Pacific) and 1.74 (Europe).
The cold of Bastogne vs the heat and insects of the Pacific theatre.
Pouring one out to my great grandfather & great uncle who fought at the Battle of the Bulge. They were both real ones; RIP
Across each of his 5 deployments my husband says the most traumatic experiences for him weren’t during combat engagements but witnessing the medbays & loading med evac flights.
Two great orgs my military/vet fam works with are Wounded Warriors & Fisher House. Lots of local Vet organizations need help too, anyone so inclined should definitely research how to lend a hand in your area.
Band of Brothers reactions being released on Memorial Day, 77th anniversary of D-Day and American Independence Day. You guys rolled a Nat 20
PS You guys just have to check out the Pacific afterwards. It could be considered the sibling series to Band of Brothers as it too was produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg.
If you can, check out From the Earth to the Moon (miniseries). Follows the Apollo program and is of course produced by Tom Hanks
To this day the 101st has never said that they needed to be rescued
This is my favorite episode of this series; the quiet and melancholy trough it sticked with for days and weeks after I watched. Pure nightmare.
Props to all the actors involved, especially to Shane Taylor for portraying Eugene so well in here!